RWBY: MUTATION
by JCtheWriterr
Summary: Genetics are an amazing part of every living thing. Humans, animals, and even the soulless Creatures of Grimm have special DNA strands that make each group unique. Humanity has researched every aspect of the Grimm genome for centuries, in an attempt to find any possible advantages against the Grimm besides Dust. But, what will happen if Humanity goes one step too far?
1. The Signs

**Hey, denizens of the Interwebs! JCtheWriterr here, with a quick author's note. Firstly, thank you so much for taking the time to read my humble upload, it really means the world to me! :D **

**Next, this is the first time I have ever written a story of such a length, and the first time publishing a story on FanFiction, or anywhere, actually, for that matter, so keep that awesome constructive feedback flowing, it will help me so much in the future! Also don't forget to show the story, (if not me****)** **some love if you enjoy what you've read!**

****I do not own any part of RWBY, or any part of Monty Oum, the creator and rightful owner, for that matter. That would just be plain creepy. Think of the amount of space in my freezer I would need to clear out for that... *shudder* ****

****... A man needs his ice cream, okay? Don't judge! *Cue awkward silence*****

**... Anyway, enough ranting from me. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the story with a mug of your beverage of choice, and... whatever you do to get yourself relaxed, really. Till the next author's note, I'll see you folks around!**

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><p><strong>RWBY- Mutation<strong>

**Chapter 1: - The Signs**

"Uuunnnggghhh…"

Ruby Rose groaned as she was jarred awake by the shrill sound of her alarm clock going off. She squirmed in the warm covers and attempted in vain to wrap a pillow around her head to drown out the noise.

Suddenly, the distinct, loud crack of a shotgun went off to her left, and the skull-rattling sound of the alarm clock came to an abrupt end.

Ruby smirked to herself, knowing perfectly well who the culprit was, and silently thanked her for putting an end to her torment.

"YANG! That's our 5th alarm clock this MONTH! You have GOT to STOP DOING THAT!" an angry voice yelled from the bathroom. A white haired girl in a nightgown stomped out of the bathroom and stalked to the foot of the blonde brawler's bed. "WE ARE NOT MAKING THE TRIP TO TOWN TO GET US A REPLACEMENT AS A TEAM ANYMORE! YOU BREAK IT, YOU FIX IT!"

"…Chillax, Princess, I'll get the replacement this time… Now just let me sleep in peace…" Yang Xiao Long moaned, rolling to her side, away from Weiss.

"How do you even have Ember Celica anyway? All of our weapons are supposed to be locked up in the armoury before curfew!" asked Weiss Schnee, in an accusing tone.

"I was cleaning her last night… Happy?" Yang replied grumpily, her voice muffled by her pillow.

"Weiss, just let her be… It's a weekend, after all." Blake Belladonna sighed, briefly looking up from the book she was reading.

"Fine," the heiress grumbled, "but only because it's a weekend."

By the time Team RWBY finally dragged itself out of bed, it was already close to noon, and they made their way to the cafeteria for brunch. They piled food onto their plates, and walked over to join Team JNPR, who waved them over enthusiastically.

"Hey, guys, get a load of this!" said Jaune Arc, leader of Team JNPR, waving his scroll, on which he was reading the morning news.

"Seems like the authorities are finding an increasing number of what appears to be 'sick' creatures of Grimm." He explained as Team RWBY gathered around to peer at his scroll.

"That's strange," said Blake, furrowing her brow. "The creatures of Grimm almost NEVER get sick, there are not many known viruses that affect them…"

"As far as I can remember, there have been no reports of such a situation ever happening before…" Pyrrha Nikos remarked, rubbing her chin worriedly.

"Who cares?! If it's causing Grimm to suffer, then it's a good thing in my book!" Nora Valkyrie cut in cheerfully with her mouth full of pancakes, spraying the table in front of her with crumbs.

"Nora… It's not very nice to talk with your mouth full…" Lie Ren groaned, face palming.

"Sorrryyy Reeennn…" Nora chanted, finally swallowing.

"This can't be too much of a coincidence, can it?" Ruby asked worriedly. "Do you still remember the report a few months back about the Vale military researching a new biological weapon for use against Grimm? Could it be possible that they are testing it on Grimm in the wild?"

"Nonsense! Even if they did have such a weapon, they wouldn't test it out on the wild Grimm population! The government would never approve of such a thing! What if the weapon has deadly side effects for humans? They would be risking the lives of anyone who enters the Grimms' habitat, including us!" Weiss scoffed. Ruby nodded, hoping with all of her heart that Weiss was right.

Just then, Professor Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch strode calmly into the cafeteria, and came to a stop in the centre of the room, causing the chatter in the cafeteria to die down as everyone turned to look at them curiously.

Following closely behind them were four teenagers, a boy in a blue cape and hood of a similar style to Ruby's, except it draped more over his right shoulder, a boy in a cowboy-themed outfit and a cowboy hat with shoulder-length blonde hair pulled back into a small ponytail, a towering, bulky boy in juggernaut's armour with large shoulder pauldrons and a dark grey travelling cloak, and a girl in a simple grey combat skirt with brown leather armour covering vital areas. They lined up in an orderly row beside Professor Ozpin.

"Students, I would like you to meet the newest members to our Beacon family, Team Cyclone, or CYCN. They have just been transferred from Guardian Academy in Atlas, and will be joining you in classes from next week. I hope they will be welcomed into our faculty with open arms by our student community, make many new friends, and on the whole enjoy their studies with us. Let's give them a warm Beacon welcome, shall we?"

The cafeteria broke into warm applause, and the team politely bowed in acknowledgement, before turning to exit the cafeteria.

The boy in the blue cape looked around at the cafeteria one more time, and unconsciously made eye contact with Ruby, noticing how her outfit was similar in some ways to his.

Ruby, who had been subconsciously watching the boy from a distance in a dreamy manner, blushed furiously and quickly looked down at her plate. A small smile appeared on the boy's face, and he blushed slightly too as he began to stride out of the cafeteria.

"What's the matter, Ruby?" Yang asked mischievously, winking at her younger sister. "Something catch your eye?"

"It's… It's nothing…" Ruby blushed an even deeper shade of red, and began attacking her pancakes with renewed determination.

"Hey, I don't blame you!" Yang said ruffling Ruby's hair. "I myself wouldn't mind having a slice of Mr Cowboy over there…" She purred, gazing wistfully at the boy in question as he exited the cafeteria.

"Yang… I said, it's NOTHING…" Ruby growled, shoving her elder sister away.

"Riiggghht…" Yang said sarcastically. "And you hate anything that has sugar in it. Especially cookies."

Ruby continued to eat her pancakes in stony silence, pointedly ignoring her.

"Aww, C'mon Rubes, don't be shy, spill the beans!" Yang chuckled, flicking a baked bean at the side of her head. That was the last straw.

"Yang. Xiao. Long." Ruby hissed dangerously. "I believe," she unveiled a pair of scissors from her pocket. "It's time for you to have a haircut…"

Yang's lilac eyes widened in horror. "You… You wouldn't!" Ruby let the scissors do the talking._Snip, snip, snip…_

Yang got up from her seat and sprinted out of the cafeteria in fear, Ruby in close pursuit, waving the scissors menacingly in the air, with the remaining people at the table bursting into uncontrollable laughter, clutching their sides.

"D'you think Ruby's really gonna do it?" Blake asked Weiss, trying unsuccessfully to wipe her tears of mirth.

"She's just playing with Yang," Weiss replied, smirking slightly. "If she was being serious, she would have activated her speed semblance by now, and Yang would've had to change the 'Long' in her name to 'Short'…"

Blake blinked, and stared at Weiss in a mixture of disbelief and amusement. "Did you just—"

"Yes, Blake, yes I did." Weiss's smirk grew wider. "Don't expect any more puns from me in a long time. I fear Yang is finally beginning to rub off on me…"

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><p>Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the forest of Forever Fall, a teenaged girl named Sara Summers knelt down at the foot of one of the many trees with brilliant red-orange leaves and carved into the relatively thick bark with her machete, before holding an empty glass jar to the cut.<p>

Soon, a slightly thick, red, syrupy liquid started flowing forth from the cut, and slowly filled up the jar to its brim. Sara, unable to resist the temptation, dipped her finger into the jar and brought it to her mouth, allowing herself to savour the luscious, sugary flavour.

Ahh, red sap. Not only does it taste like liquid heaven, it also has many medicinal properties that are used in home remedies as an antiseptic for cuts and bruises, a quick cure for a sore throat, and even a treatment for minor aches and pains. _A food that is as good for you as it tastes, what's to hate?_ Sara wondered to herself, smiling as she sealed the jar.

Suddenly, she was startled from her thoughts by the sound of snapping twigs and heavy footfalls on the dry, leafy forest floor. She quickly grabbed her sling bag and held it close to her, holding out her machete in a defensive stance.

_Crap… I didn't know that creatures of Grimm even came this far out of the forest!_ She thought to herself as she scanned her surroundings warily.

Before she could react, a large black mass tackled her from her left and sent her sprawling on her back, grunting in pain as she hit the ground. She opened her eyes to find herself face to face with a massive Beowolf.

The beast let out a feral roar and raised its paw to swipe at Sara's neck. Sara reflexively raised her left hand to block the attack and the Beowolf's claws cut deeply into her forearm.

Yelling out in agony, she desperately thrust her right hand, which held her machete, at the Beowolf, and by an incredible stroke of luck, managed to stab it in the throat. The Beowolf stumbled away from Sara, blood spraying from the wound in its neck. It attempted to howl, but all that came from its throat was a wet gurgling sound as it keeled over, dead.

Sara limped over to make sure the beast was down for good, and her eyes widened in surprise. Sure, it was as dead as the fallen leaves around it, but the Beowolf was unlike any Beowolf she had ever seen before.

The Beowolf's extra-large size was actually caused by various, diseased-looking swellings across most of its body, and its signature glowing red eyes had taken on a greenish tinge.

_Whatever happened to this Grimm, I don't like it… I'd better get back home and treat my injuries…_ Sara thought to herself, wincing in pain as she saw the deep lacerations running the length of her forearm, from which blood freely flowed. She quickly gathered her belongings and, with what little strength she had left, struggled her way back to her home on the outskirts of Vale.

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><p><em><strong>Two days later…<strong>_

"Oh, dear…" Weiss said as she saw the headlines of the morning news, getting the attention of the other members of Teams RWBY and JNPR who were seated with her in the cafeteria.

"Death toll from mystery Grimm-transmitted infection grows to 10?" Ruby read out loud as she peered over Weiss's shoulder, "What's that about?"

"A 16-year-old girl, Sara Summers, is the latest in a series of rapid, unexplained deaths from severe infection of wounds sustained from Grimm encounters over this past weekend." Weiss began to read the article out loud.

"Interestingly, all victims were attacked by what seemed to be infected Grimm at different times on Saturday. All victims also treated their wounds or sought professional medical attention within hours of getting injured. The similarities do not end there. By Saturday night, all victims started experiencing flu-like symptoms like a high fever, sneezing, severe cough, and joint and muscle pain, due to their wounds becoming infected. Their conditions continued to deteriorate on Sunday morning, and the six earliest deaths were recorded by Sunday night. The next three deaths occurred on Monday morning, and Ms Summers was pronounced dead by Monday afternoon. Interviews carried out with family members of the deceased have revealed that the victims mostly were injured through slash or bite wounds from the claws or teeth of the infected Grimm, which means that the infection was likely spread by physical contact or blood-to-blood contact. Autopsies carried out by Evermore Hospital's Forensics Department on the earlier victims have shown that the wounds and the skin surrounding them had turned black, but oddly not due to gangrene. The true cause continues to elude researchers. As many as 50 other cases of this new, mystery infection have been admitted or transferred to Evermore Hospital's Infectious Diseases Department as of press time. The Vytal Health Ministry has advised the populace to stay indoors as much as possible and avoid any encounters with Creatures of Grimm. It has also stated that in the scenario that you are faced with one, DO NOT ENGAGE. Attempt your best to evade, and avoid ANY physical contact," Weiss finished, setting her scroll down on the cafeteria table and looking up at the rest of her friends.

"Well. That escalated quickly…" Jaune mumbled, swallowing a bite of his shepherd's pie with a worried frown on his face.

"Seems like this is no longer a laughing matter…" Ren mused, while attempting to fend off Nora's feverish attempts to steal the food off his plate with little success.

"Three days. That's all it took. And now 10 people are dead, maybe even more. If this doesn't cause mass hysteria soon, I don't know what will." Said Pyrrha, looking up from her own scroll, on which she had been reading the same story.

Several seconds of heavy silence followed as the two teams contemplated this new, very real threat. "Well, it appears we have a very GRIMM situation on our hands…" Yang suddenly snorted. 7 hands face palmed in perfect synchrony, but some among the group still smiled despite themselves.

"…DUST DAMMIT, SIS! REALLY? All the millions of topics to make a pun about, and this is the one you choose?!" Ruby glared at Yang in disbelief.

"Yikes, Rubes, just trying to improve the mood here…" Yang replied sheepishly, raising her hands in mock surrender.

"As much as I'd hate to admit it, Yang's right. The last thing we need in this situation is to be thinking negatively, the situation is bad enough as it is." said Blake, with a small smile gracing her features. "I think it's time we made our way to Professor Oobleck's class, we all know very well he isn't too fond of tardiness…"

The others nodded affirmatively, and proceeded to make their way out of the cafeteria.


	2. Gear Up!

**Hey guys! JCtheWriterr here, with chapter two of RWBY: MUTATION! But before we get to the main attraction, I would like to talk about a few things.**

**First of all, you guys are AMAZING. THANK YOU SO MUCH to the 98 visitors who have read the previous chapter of my story, it has been a great source of encouragement to me! :D Also to the people who have been so kind to follow and favourite my story, you guys are AWESOME, you have no idea how much it means to me as a first time fan-fiction writer. :) **

**Next, like I have mentioned in the previous chapter, constructive feedback is always welcome, and it would make my day if you could take some time to let me know how i'm doing, whether there is any room for improvement, and maybe even give me some of your own suggestions for what you want to see in future chapters! If you have anything of that sort, do drop a review!**

**Finally, some bad news... :'( I have major examinations coming up in the next three weeks, meaning I will have to go into full-on cramming mode for this period of time, and thus, will be unable to update this story for an extended period of time. I apologise in advance for this, and reiterate that I absolutely HATE to leave you guys hanging a mere two chapters into this story. I promise that I will be up and about rattling off updates for this story as soon as I have the opportunity, so do stay tuned for more content from me in the nearest possible future!**

**With that painful stuff aside, I believe the usual formalities are in order: I do not own any part of RWBY, or any part of Monty Oum for that matter. I only own my original characters, and the laptop I am typing this story with.**

**I hope you enjoy this new chapter as much as I have enjoyed putting it together, and if you do, a favourite, follow, or review would brighten my day. Sit back, relax with a beverage of your preference, and enjoy the story!**

**Until the next author's note, I will see you guys around!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Gear Up!<strong>

Ruby sighed and rested her head on her desk. She had just spent the past 45 minutes of Professor Oobleck's lecture attempting in vain to follow the tall, thin man as he almost literally teleported from one end of the classroom to another.

His faster than normal rate of movement was only further augmented by the fact that he was high on caffeine, supplied by his trusty mug which he seemed to almost perpetually have in his hand.

As a result, his normally almost indecipherable hand gestures and speech were accelerated into a fluid blur of motion that none but the sharpest, most attentive of Beacon's students could fully understand.

Ruby, who fortunately was blessed with the semblance of speed, was one of them, but attempting to follow the Professor for longer than half an hour was nothing short of suicide, even for the scythe-wielder. Not to mention it gave her a sore neck for the next few days.

So, like the dozens of brave Hunters and Huntresses-in-training with her in the classroom, she finally chose the wisest course of action: Give up.

She was in the middle of a daydream about a wonderland where everything was made of chocolate chip cookies when the loud crackle of the school-wide intercom shook her from her reverie.

The familiar voice of Professor Glynda Goodwitch resounded through the halls of the school. "Teams RWBY, JNPR and CYCN, please proceed to Professor Ozpin's office immediately."

Ruby turned to look at her teammates with a worried expression on her face. They shrugged at her, as confused as she was.

What could Professor Ozpin possibly need of them? They rarely, if ever, got summoned by their enigmatic Headmaster. The sole occasion it had happened was due to Yang landing Cardin Winchester in the infirmary with several broken ribs. He had stolen and hung Ruby's hood over the doorway of the auditorium, in petty revenge for the red reaper humiliating him during combat training several days prior.

Professor Goodwitch had wanted to mete out a heavier consequence for Yang's actions, but Professor Ozpin had simply let her off with a light warning to control her temper.

Ruby turned to make eye contact with Jaune, with her eyebrow raised in a silent question. The blonde knight merely replied her with a shrug as well, mirroring her confusion.

Meanwhile, after some hesitation, the members of Team CYCN got up from their seats near the front row, and began to proceed out of the classroom. The boy in the blue cape looked up at Ruby and Jaune, and beckoned them to follow suit with a slight smile.

"Well Miss Rose, Mr Arc, I suggest you not keep Professor Ozpin waiting. Whatever it is he is calling you for, it must be of some importance." Said Professor Oobleck, in his rapid-fire drone. Ruby and Jaune nodded quickly and gathered their teammates, joining Team CYCN in the corridor.

Once they were in the corridor, the boy in blue extended his hand in greeting, to all of the members from both teams. "Hello, everyone. My name is Cepphyre Skye, and I'm the leader of team CYCN. You can call me Ceph for short," said Ceph in a friendly tone, to a chorus of greetings from the members of teams RWBY and JNPR.

"Mr Cowboy goes by the name York," York tipped his hat with a grin to the others.

"Mr Juggernaut over there is Colin," The heavily-built boy lifted a hand in a casual salute to the teams, "The pleasure's mine." Said Colin in a deep baritone, smiling.

"Colin is the elder brother of Miss Almost-Mute over there, who would appreciate it if you called her Nat."

Nat raised her hand shyly in greeting, before glaring at him reproachfully. "C'mon, it's a fact!" Ceph chuckled, "You really DON'T talk much!" "I… Talk when it's necessary, unlike you…" Nat quietly retorted.

"Team CYCN was the best performing team in their year at Guardian Academy. It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person." Weiss smiled, having accepted Ceph's hand of greeting.

"How would you kno-?" Yang was cut off mid-sentence by Weiss, who shot back at her, "Some people actually BOTHERED to do their research in preparation for the Vytal Tournament, unlike yourself?"

"Of course you would, Weiss, of course you would." Yang sighed, amused by her teammate's competitiveness.

"Like Colin has mentioned, the pleasure is ours," Ceph continued excitedly, "Team CYCN, working with Teams RWBY and JNPR, the champion and runner-up in this year's Vytal Tournament? I'm a HUGE fan of your weapon designs, your combat styles... EVERYTHING!" Ceph gushed, attracting an embarrassed grin from York.

"You'll have to excuse our dear leader here, my friends," He explained sheepishly in a thick Southern accent. "He's a massive weapon nut, went almost catatonic from ecstasy when he saw the variety of weapons that the students have here in Beacon on the first day…"

"Huh. Seems like Ceph and Rubes have more in common than just their capes, then," Yang smirked. "You two should get together more often."

Ceph and Ruby blushed crimson simultaneously, and Ruby turned to stare daggers at her. "Just saying…" Yang shrugged, raising her hands in mock defeat.

York grinned mischievously, before cuffing Ceph under his arm, and proceeding to ruffle his hair. "Is that the sound of wedding bells I hear? When will you be handing out invitations? Will there be cake?"

Ceph squirmed uncomfortably in York's grasp for a few moments, before he suddenly managed to flip the cowboy down on the floor with a well-executed judo tackle. Satisfied with his handiwork, Ceph proceeded to dust himself off, leaving York to painfully get back to his feet.

"S-sorry, Ruby, York's sense of humour can get quite ridiculous at times… Hope his mouth doesn't eventually ruin our friendship…" Ceph growled, half in annoyance and half in amusement. He punched York lightly on the shoulder, eliciting an exaggerated "OW!" from the cowboy.

"Tell me about it…" Ruby replied, though with a slight note of disappointment. "My sis never fails to find humour at the worst possible times…"

"Hey!" Yang yelled, arms akimbo. "I tried to do you lovebirds a favour, playing matchmaker, and this is how you repay me?"

"Yeah, we were only trying to help speed up the inevitable… You didn't need to shoot us down like that..." York grumbled.

Yang and York exchanged a high-five, bursting into laughter.

Ceph and Ruby exchanged exasperated looks, eyes twitching, and turned back to the insufferable blonde pair. "SHUT UP ALREADY!" they yelled in unison, all but ready to pounce on the duo to put a painful end to their incessant teasing.

"Guys? I hate to interrupt your 'matchmaking'…" Jaune cut in with a sheepish smile, "But we should really get going, Ozpin's waiting for us…"

"Understood, Vomit Boy. Let's go!" Yang exclaimed, waving the others forward. This elicited a groan from Jaune.

"You're just not going to let me live that one down, are you?" he grumbled, shaking his head.

As the three teams started to walk at a brisk pace in the direction of Ozpin's office, Yang noticed Ruby had not moved from her position, and that the redhead had a faraway expression on her face.

Yang waited until the others were out of earshot.

"Ruby…?" Yang tapped her on the shoulder, trying hard not to laugh.

"WHA—NO-I WASN'T—STARING-" Ruby yelped, blushing as fiercely as her namesake.

"I KNEW IT! MY LITTLE SISTER HAS A CRUSH!" Yang squealed, crushing Ruby with a massive bear hug.

"S-shut up! I just think Ceph's kinda cute, okay?! No big deal! CUT IT OUT!" Ruby yowled, trying desperately to struggle out of Yang's vice-like grip.

Once she finally freed herself, Ruby activated her semblance, disappearing in a cloud of rose petals as she bolted off to join the others.

Yang sang after her, "Don't worrryyy… Your secret is safe with me…!"

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><p>Professor Ozpin sighed heavily as he put his personal scroll down upon his desk, and tiredly pinched the bridge of his nose.<p>

_Ozpin, no matter how much faith you have in them, they are still KIDS! They aren't old enough to go on missions unsupervised, let alone a mission of this level of difficulty! You may as well be sending them to their deaths!_ Professor Goodwitch's words of protest from a few moments prior echoed in his mind, and he gritted his teeth as he fought down the rising uncertainty in the back of his mind, sighing yet again. _I wish there were a better way, Glynda. I really do._

He took a long swig from his trusty coffee mug, and silently reflected upon the way he had replied her. _I have said it before, and I will say it again, Glynda. I have made more mistakes than any person on Remnant. It goes without saying that I already regret having to make this decision, however the circumstances have forced our hand. We have no other choice. In the time that we have had to observe them, these teams, though young and inexperienced, have shown time and again that they possess raw skill and tactical thinking on the battlefield that rivals the very best that our active Huntsmen and Huntresses have to offer, and as such present themselves as the unfortunate best alternative to a battle-tested Hunter team that the network simply cannot afford to spare at the_ _moment! _At this, Professor Ozpin slammed his fist down on the glass surface of the desk and let out an uncharacteristic growl of frustration. _Damn it all, _he swore internally. _These children have done nothing to deserve being denied a safe, normal 4 years in Beacon! __Why do they have to face the harsh reality of this cruel world any sooner than graduation day? _The silver-haired man got to his feet paced the marble floor of his office restlessly, cursing the unfairness of it all.

A flashing, holographic notification appeared on the Headmaster's desk, bringing his thoughts back to the present. _Access Requested_, it said. Getting to his feet, he glanced at the live feed from the security camera in the elevator, which also served as the entrance to his office. When he saw that it was Teams RWBY, JNPR, and CYCN waiting patiently inside, he took a moment to compose himself, and straightened his suit jacket, which had become slightly wrinkled after his outburst.

"Come in!" Professor Ozpin called out, tapping the notification to grant access to the students. The three teams exited the lift and proceeded to gather around Ozpin's desk in an orderly fashion.

"You called for us, Professor Ozpin?" Ruby asked Ozpin curiously.

"Indeed, Miss Rose." Professor Ozpin started. "What I am about to tell you is highly classified and you are not to provide any explanation to anybody other than the other Professors if questioned about the matter. Is that clear?"

Ruby, Jaune and Ceph traded apprehensive looks, before nodding.

"I know that you are only coming to the end of your first year of training as future Huntsmen and Huntresses, but due to unforeseen circumstances, we will need to… speed things up a little. Teams RWBY and JNPR. You have been consistently been the best performing teams of your cohort, with academic and training results that far surpass your closest competition. Not only that, but you even have some... real world experience to boot," Ozpin smiled at the two teams knowingly.

He was alluding to the two teams' joint effort in foiling the plans of notorious criminal masterminds Cinder Fall and Roman Torchwick to usurp the central government of the Kingdom of Vale during the Vytal Tournament. A large number of White Fang members and wanted criminals working under the duo were also rounded up in the ensuing government crackdown. The members of Teams RWBY and JNPR squirmed uncomfortably under the Headmaster's piercing gaze, and could only smile sheepishly in reply.

The fact that it had been the two teams of young Hunters-in-Training who had taken down the two most wanted criminals in Vale, and not the authorities, was not common knowledge. It was only by the kindness of the head of Vale's police force, Commissioner Burns, that the two teams had been quietly given a pat on their backs and allowed to walk away scot-free. Vigilante justice was considered a serious offence in the four kingdoms, punishable by law.

"Team CYCN. You have shown yourself to possess one of the highest levels of proficiency ever seen in your prowess as future Huntsmen and Huntresses in the history of Guardian Academy, which I am sure you will continue to display in your continued studies with Beacon." Team CYCN's confused expressions from Team RWBY's and JNPR's weird behaviour changed into expressions of pride and humility.

"We will continue to work even harder than we have done while in Guardian, sir, we will not disappoint you." Ceph declared, with conviction in his voice, and the member of his team nodded in affirmation.

"Of that I am sure, Mr Skye." Ozpin smiled.

"Now, the reason for gathering you here today. It is with great honour and pleasure that I declare your collective promotions to the rank of Class Five Junior Hunters, or the lowest rank in the Hunter hierarchy, a rank which is usually attained at the end of your second year in Beacon. Ruby Rose will additionally be granted the title of Section Leader, which gives her seniority over the three teams. Jaune Arc and Cepphyre Skye will be second- and third- in command respectively."

The members of the three teams glanced at each other in a mixture of disbelief and excitement.

Professor Ozpin walked up to each of them, pinning a bronze badge in the shape of a miniature Beowolf skull to their collars.

"Congratulations on your promotions." A small smile found its way to Ozpin's face as he stepped away from Nora Valkyrie, who had been the last to receive her badge. She beamed at Ozpin, before turning to fling her arms around Ren, nearly causing the poor boy's knees to buckle under her unexpected weight.

Yang, on the other hand, crushed her younger sister in of her signature bear hugs. "I'm so PROUD of you! My baby sister's becoming a LEADER!" she squealed. Ruby blushed and tried to yell at her sister in embarrassment, but only managed a weak wheeze in response as Yang's hug had knocked the air out of her lungs.

"Yang… Sorry to ruin the moment, but Ruby needs to breathe, you know…" Blake tapped Yang on her shoulder, barely holding back her laughter. Yang's eyes flew open in realisation, and she hastily released her grip on Ruby. Ruby drew in a ragged breath, fresh air finally flooding her lungs, and she gave Blake a weak thumbs-up in gratitude. "Sorry sis…" Yang said sheepishly.

Ozpin was unable to hold back a smile as he saw the joy of the three teams before him, and decided to allow them some time for celebration before continuing, his expression growing serious.

"This of course means that you will be able to accept and go on missions without senior Hunter supervision, starting from the one I have for you today." Ozpin paused to pick up his personal scroll from his desk.

"About half an hour ago, a distress call was sent out on the Hunter network by the Vale Police Department. It was a request for immediate Hunter assistance due to what could possibly be the emergence of a new form of Grimm. The report details that the "Grimm" have been successfully quarantined by the police within the Mount Evermore Hospital in downtown Vale, and that unfortunately, most of the patients and staff are still inside. As of the time we received the distress call, no active Huntsmen or Huntresses in Vale were available to render assistance as they are all tied in with efforts to eliminate existing infected Grimm from the forested areas in the vicinity of the city limits. This is where you come in. Your mission is to infiltrate the hospital with an assault team of SWAT officers and attempt to exterminate the hospital of Grimm, rescuing any survivors you may find along the way." Ozpin set down the scroll and took a sip from his coffee mug.

"An armed police Bullhead dropship will be on station at the main gate of the academy for you in 10 minutes, I would advise you head down to the armoury and gear up for combat. I wish you dustspeed, and know that I have nothing less than complete faith in your abilities." Ozpin finished, with a small smile on his face as he snapped a crisp salute to the three teams, which they promptly returned.

"Thank you for believing in us, sir." Ruby said, a look of grim determination etched onto her features. She turned to her teammates. "Let's suit up and meet at the main gate in 10, guys! Go, go, go!"

The members of the three teams did not have to be told twice.

They met Ruby's look of steely determination with affirmative smiles of their own and spun on their heels, re-entering the elevator from which they had came from earlier.

"Oh, and one more thing," Ozpin called out after the three leaders as they reached the door. Ruby, Jaune and Ceph paused and turned to face Ozpin. "Yes, sir?" Ruby asked.

"This promotion will not only be exclusive to you and your members. If I can deem the other teams in your cohort ready, I will not hesitate to promote them to operation-ready status at the earliest possible timing. However, you will have seniority over them and you will be able to give out orders as to the roles they should play in any conflict, if this situation escalates any further than it has already."

"That's great to hear, sir." Jaune smiled at Ozpin. "If this situation turns out to be as serious as it sounds, we're going to need all the help we can get." With that, the trio exited Ozpin's office, closing the door behind them.

As the doors of the elevator sealed shut behind them, a small, worried frown found its way to Ozpin's face, and he drank deeply from his coffee mug. _Dustspeed, my dear students, Dustspeed_.

The three teams arrived at the armoury, and immediately sprang into action.

The members of Teams RWBY, JNPR and CYCN parted their ways to their individual lockers, keying in their access codes and retrieving the contents within. Lifting Crescent Rose from its rack within her locker, Ruby glanced over curiously in the direction of Team CYCN's lockers.

Catching her eye first was Ceph, as he slung a combat harness over his shoulders. At the chest area, there appeared to be two over-sized combat knives attached to the harness by sheathes that seemed to double up as a form of chest plate due to their size. Ceph then proceeded to draw the knives, which seemed to be ordinary-looking at first, until blue, glowing blades of energy suddenly flared to life, appearing to hover just over the actual knife blades, like an extension of them. Upon the press of a button, the knives then transformed into a pair of Desert Eagle-pattern pistols with the blades doubling up as the barrels. Satisfied that they were in working order, Ceph transformed them back into their combat knife forms and sheathed them.

Ruby's eyes widened in wonder, impressed by the display.

She then observed as York cycled his weapon from what appeared to be a large great sword, into a compound crossbow complete with a sniper scope, and then into a Mk.14 Enhanced Battle Rifle. He smirked in satisfaction, and slung the rifle onto his back.

_He must be the team's marksman,_ Ruby thought, letting out a low whistle of amazement.

Next, she looked at Colin, who was hefting an intimidating-looking battle-axe with Burn crystals jutting out of slots in the weapon. He transformed it into what appeared to be a heavily modified Mk. 48 light machine gun form, before he slung it over his shoulder, and grabbed a bandolier of seemingly nothing but various dust crystals.

_That's an interesting weapon,_ Ruby gushed internally. _I wonder what it does?_

Finally, her eyes came to rest upon Nat, and she blinked in surprise. Nat was merely seated on an ammunition crate near her teammates, not doing any preparations whatsoever. If anything, she actually seemed bored.

_She doesn't use a regular weapon? Well, that's strange…_ Ruby pondered. _Maybe she's a dust user?_

Ruby suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump.

"Are you done with your preparations? The other teams are ready to go." Blake asked gently, Gambol Shroud slung on her back. She was accompanied by Weiss, who had Myrtenaster attached in its rightful place on her belt. The heiress gave her partner a small nod.

"U-uh yeah, just gimme a sec…" Ruby blinked, snapping out of her thoughts. She quickly mounted Crescent Rose on her back, and grabbed several extra clips of ammo for her trusty sniper scythe.

Upon seeing that the others were ready, Yang threw two belts of 12-gauge 'Dragon's Breath' shells into the air in a graceful arc, the loading mechanism of Ember Celica promptly catching them and storing the ammunition. "Let's rock 'n' roll!" she crowed, pumping her fists together to rack the pump-action, chambering the first shells into each of the gauntlets.

"Alright teams, let's head down to the main gate!" said Ruby, closing the door of her locker.

* * *

><p>The three teams made their way down to the airship docks at the main gate, where a solitary Bullhead dropship with the crest of the Vale Police Department emblazoned on its side awaited them, engines humming. On the boarding ramp stood a young lady with purple eyes and bubblegum-pink hair in a pixie cut, dressed in a navy-blue flight suit. She waved to the approaching group cheerfully, and firmly shook the hand of each person as they boarded the ramp of the Bullhead.<p>

"Welcome aboard, fellas!" She grinned, donning a pilot's helmet as she spoke, "The name's Kylie, Kylie Falcone, and I'll be your crew chief for this flight. You can call the man behind the stick CJ!"

The pilot, whose features save for his mouth and nose were concealed by the tinted visor of his helmet, stuck his head out of the cockpit and flashed the group a toothy smile. "Pleasure to meet y'all! Buckle in and make yourselves comfortable, we dust off in 30 seconds." With that, he retreated back into the cockpit, and began preparations for take-off.

"And these two trigger-happy blokes on the guns are Grant and Walker." Kylie stuck her thumb back towards the gunners manning their stations on either side of the dropship. They were attired in a similar fashion to CJ, with helmets mostly obscuring their features.

Grant, the taller of the two, who was positioned on the right, gave a friendly wave, while Walker, the gunner on the left, burst out laughing, and crowed, "You said it, Birdy! Give us a target, and leave the rest to us. Not that there will be much left by the time we're done with it, of course!"

Kylie rolled her eyes, and answered the quizzical expression that had appeared on Ruby's face. "This idiot," she jabbed a thumb at Walker, "decided to give me the nickname "Birdy", all because my last name sounds like "falcon". And I distinctly remember telling him, that I DON'T like being called that!" she growled, glaring at Walker.

"Aww, you'll always be a little, adorable birdy in our hearts, Kylie, don't even try to change that…" Walker sang, flapping his hands and managing to look remarkably like a navy-blue canary.

"Shut it, Walker, you sure talk big for a short guy like yourself. You'd better make good to that statement you made earlier if we run into anything later, or else all the beers tonight are on you…"

Walker's face, or what could be seen of it below his visor immediately sunk into an angry pout. "I'm only half a head shorter than you! I can't help it that you're tall for a woman!"

Kylie turned to look at Yang and Pyrrha, who were at least a full head taller than her, and the other girls present for that matter, and smirked at Walker. "Yeah, right. You want to say someone's tall for a woman, you should say it to their faces." She jabbed her thumbs at the brawler and the spartan. Yang grinned and pretended to blush, waving a hand dismissively at the crew chief. "Oh, stop it you…" Pyrrha simply smiled and nodded gracefully in acknowledgement of the compliment.

"Fine, you win…" Walker grumbled, and fell silent.

Satisfied, Kylie turned back to the students, who were all strapped securely into their seats. "All buckled up? Good." She rapped on the door-frame of the cockpit, and keyed her helmet's microphone. "Take us up, CJ!"

"With pleasure, Chief!" CJ replied cheerfully, as he applied power to the Bullhead's two dust-powered jet engines, and the mid-sized dropship rose gracefully into the air.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed it! Until the next chapter, I will see you guys around!:D<strong>


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